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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Botswana Defence Force Deputy Commander Maj. Gen., Mpho Mophuting, and the North Carolina National Guard Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore, attend the official opening of the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. The legal engagement brought together over 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates, and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Legal advisors and professionals from 40 African nations gathered in Gaborone, Botswana, on Aug. 8, 2022, for the sixth African Military Law Forum, an event hosted by U.S. Africa Command, the North Carolina National Guard, and the Botswana Defence Force. The legal engagement brought together over 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates, and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Master Sgt. Martina McKoy, command paralegal manager for U.S. Africa Command, and Capt. Katie Reynolds, chief of legal assistance for the North Carolina National Guard, shared their experiences and best practices on a panel regarding effective ways to support deployed service members in domestic and international settings during the sixth iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. The legal engagement brought together over 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates, and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Mr. James Dapper, Office of Legal Counsel for U.S. Africa Comand, moderates a discussion on procurement and contracting for military operations, with members of the 414th Contracting Support Brigade, Botswana Defence Force and U.S. Department of Justice during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. Throughout the event panelists and professionals discussed the importance of having legal advisors on a commander’s staff, and how following the rule of law was central to successfully executing a military campaign.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
(From left to right) Col. Mark Maxwell, U.S. Africa Command; Botswana Defence Force Brigadier Molatlhegi Modomi Ntelamo (BDF).; and the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore meet with members of the congressional staff delegation from the Senate Armed Services Committee during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum (AMLF) at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. They discussed NCNG’s State Partnership Program with Botswana, which consists of military-to-military and civilian-to-civilian engagements – allowing the NCNG to be a mechanism for building capacity and capabilities in Botswana.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
The North Carolina National Guard Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore, attends the Women’s African Military Professional Legal Network brunch to discuss the Department of Defense’s Women, Peace, and Security framework, highlighting the importance of gender integration and equality of African militaries during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. The legal engagement brought together over 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates, and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Ms. Sandra Franzlbau, with the Office of Legal Counsel for U.S. Africa Command, presented several sessions to include updating the AMLF plenary with the Women’s African Military Professional Legal Network meeting results and discussing AMLF’s governing document revisions, as well as other matters during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
The North Carolina National Guard Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore meets with the 60th Troop Command’s Traveling Contact Team - NCNG, and the Botswana Defence Force at the Sir Serestse Khama Barracks to discuss the significance of the NCNG State Partnership Program with Botswana and the importance of women integration in the African militaries while attending the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. The NCNG has a bilateral partnership with the country of Botswana, which consists of military-to-military and civilian-to-civilian engagements – allowing the NCNG to be a mechanism for building capacity and capabilities in Botswana.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Lt. Gen. Placid Segokgo, and the North Carolina National Guard Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore, have tea to discuss partner relations during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10. The legal engagement brought together over 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates, and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
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Sixth African Military Law Forum in Botswana centers on WPS, providing counsel to commanders
(From left to right) Botswana Defence Force Chief Legal Advisor, Col. Oz Ntloore; The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) Assistant Adjutant General of Sustainment, Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore; Deputy Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Maj. Gen. Mpho Mophuting; The NCNG Chief Legal Advisor, Col. (retired) Rick Fay successfully conclude the panel discussion of the interplay between commanders and their legal advisors and effective ways to enhance their relationship and ensure mission accomplishment during the 6th iteration of the African Military Law Forum at the Grand Palm Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana, Aug. 6-10.
Photo by: Maj. Briana McFarland
U.S. Africa Command, the Botswana Defence Force, and the North Carolina National Guard hosted the sixth African Military Law Forum in Gaborone, Botswana, from Aug. 8-10, 2022.
Lt. Gen. Placid Diratsagae Segokgo, commander of the BDF, during welcoming remarks, noted the importance of having legal advisors on a commander’s staff and how following the rule of law was central to successfully executing a military campaign. Segokgo also remarked on the inaugural Women’s African Military Professional Legal Network meeting, which took place Aug. 6, to promote equity in the military.
This legal engagement brought together more than 80 African military legal advisors, magistrates and professionals from 40 countries in Africa to share best professional practices. This year’s theme was “The Legal Dynamics of Preparing the Force for Deployment and Military Operations.”
“Armies are powerful instruments of government, bringing peace and security. They must be resourced and supported with due regard,” said The Honorable Thomas Kagiso Mmusi, minister of defence and security of Botswana, during the keynote address. He further lauded “a smooth integration of women in the military. In 2007, Botswana took a deliberate decision to commission women in the BDF.”
MMusi acknowledged that the BDF faced many challenges but he was committed to ensuring military lawyers and professionals would have a seat at the table when decisions were made in defense of the country.
“When women are fully involved and consulted in efforts to build peace and security, there is a positive correlation with reducing armed conflict, sustaining peace agreements, developing democratic systems of governance, and ensuring long-term security and recovery of communities and nations.” Said Ms. Kundai Mashingaidze, acting deputy chief of mission to the U.S. Embassy in Botswana, during opening remarks focused on the unique contributions of women to peace and security. “Incorporating a WPS strategy requires a whole of government approach. It cannot be the singular domain of the military, or the diplomats, or the politicians. We all need to work together to achieve this.”
Mr. Mark Maxwell, deputy legal counsel for U.S. Africa Command, themed the agenda around networking, enabling, and security.
“This conference discusses the profession of the law and the profession of military arms. How do lawyers support commanders?” asked Maxwell, emphasizing that military lawyers are part of two professions: the profession of arms and the profession of law. The two are complementary to “ensure that commanders make the right decisions.as ultimately a citizen should run to its soldiers, not run from them.”
The current African Military Law Forum President, Nigerian Army Maj. Gen. Yusuf Shalangwa, briefed the status of the AMLF and reminded those present of the mission of AMLF:
“To provide African military legal professionals with a platform to strengthen cooperation and facilitate collaboration amongst themselves,” Shalangwa said. “It promotes military operational adherence to the law and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. We do this by exchanging best practices, collaborating on legal projects, and networking within the professional community.”
After the opening ceremonies, 85 African delegates – making this AMLF the largest of the five previous iterations – started their substantive program.
The topics ranged from out briefs on the inaugural Women’s African Military Professional Legal Network event to the use of the military in domestic operations to contracting during a pandemic. The presentations and the panels were diverse, calling upon legal expertise from across Africa, including: Uganda, Liberia, Ghana, Burundi, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and, of course, Botswana.
One panel discussion included Ms. Eyitayo St. Matthew-Daniel, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, attending virtually from New York City. She, along with a panel of contract and procurement experts, discussed the contract and procurement challenges when forces are deployed.
The final substantive presentation was a dialogue between legal advisors and commanders.
Maj. Gen. Mpho Churchill Mophuting, deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, said “the legal advisor can ensure we make rational decisions by working closely with their commander. Commanders are normally higher in rank than the legal advisor; commanders need to ignore the rank of the legal advisor.”
Brig. Gen. Cristina Moore, assistant adjutant general for logistics for the North Carolina National Guard, echoing similar themes, said, “Legal advice guides the commander’s decision in both peace and combat. The relationship does not work if you start in combat. Meeting with the legal advisor is a priority and must be recurring to build trust.”
In addition, Mr. Rick Fay, general counsel for the NCNG, and Col. Ontisitse Zak Ntloore, director of legal services for the BDF, gave their best practices on how to advise commanders and enable the commander to achieve mission accomplishment within the rule of law.
“The law enables mission success,” Fay said.
The final AMLF afternoon was dedicated to electing a new AMLF Board and revising its governing document. On the heels of the WAMPLN, which brought a record number of women to AMLF, six of the nine elected positions on the Board will be held by women.
The closing ceremony was hosted by Advocate Abraham Keetshabe, attorney general of Botswana. His remarks focused on the role attorneys play in a civil society. He was very proud that Botswana hosted the AMLF, an event that brought the military and the law together. He emphasized that commanders who have the benefit of lawyers advising them will make better, more informed decisions.
“The law is our compass and that has never been truer than for our nation’s military,” Keetshabe said.
